The Quiet Crowd
Written by Studio AM.
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An emergency happens in a crowded place. Will someone help? That question differs from asking whether one particular witness will act. A larger crowd can provide more potential helpers even if some individuals hesitate.
In classic laboratory studies, participants who believed other witnesses were present were sometimes less likely to respond promptly than those who thought they were alone. One explanation is diffusion of responsibility: each person may assume someone else will act. Another is uncertainty about what is happening. If others appear calm, a witness may take that as evidence that no help is needed, even when those people are also unsure.
These findings do not describe every crowd. The seriousness of the event, the relationships among witnesses, and the help required can change responses. Research using recordings of real public conflicts has often found that someone intervenes. An individual's chance of helping and the chance that any person in the group helps are different measures.
A clear request can reduce uncertainty and focus responsibility. Rather than calling vaguely to a crowd, a person can identify a nearby witness and ask for a specific action, such as contacting emergency services. This gives that witness a clear task while leaving others able to help too.
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Questions
Choose an answer. The explanation appears after you answer.
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Question 1 of 4
Which sentence best states the main idea?
The answer is B: Shared responsibility and uncertainty can delay individual action, but crowds also contain potential helpers.
The passage explains individual hesitation while distinguishing it from whether anyone in a whole crowd intervenes.
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Question 2 of 4
What did some classic laboratory comparisons find?
The answer is A: Participants who thought they were alone responded more promptly.
The second paragraph compares believing others were present with believing one was the only witness.
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Question 3 of 4
Why can a specific request to one witness help?
The answer is C: It clarifies the needed action and gives that person a clear task.
A clear task can reduce ambiguity and focus responsibility without guaranteeing a response or excluding other helpers.
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Question 4 of 4
What does “diffusion” mean here?
The answer is B: a duty spread so thinly across many people that each feels only a small share
The example describes responsibility spreading across people so each may assume another person will act.
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